In a small town near Cambridge, Ryan Robinette and Jarad Barr became friends in fourth grade. Now they are working together to launch Robinette’s country music career.
“The best part about working with Ryan is seeing him achieve his dreams and put our town on the map,” Barr, Robinette’s manager, said.
Robinette is putting Senecaville back on the map with his upcoming performance at Country Night Lights on Sept. 24. Country Nights Lights is a two-day music festival hosted at The Venue, on State Route 56, by Prime Social Group, the group who puts on Number Fest. The festival begins on Sept, 23.
Barr, a 2011 Ohio University alumnus, recently started working with Robinette and it has brought back a lot of childhood memories, such as going to the park and playing basketball.
“It’s been a blessing to see his audience rise in the past two weeks,” Barr said.
Robinette’s newest album, Progression, was No. 5 on iTunes for pre-ordered country albums and is set to release Friday.
“It’s a lot higher than I even expected,” Robinette said.
Barr said in an email that fans who provide proof of purchase of Progression and tag Robinette on social media are entered to win two tickets to Country Night Lights.
Addison Shawver, a sophomore studying marketing, said she went to the festival last year, but is unsure if she will be able to attend this year because Parents Weekend falls on the same weekend.
She added that it is "something different to do off campus," so it is a worthwhile event to attend.
“I’m a person who loves concerts,” Shawver said. “I love the atmosphere and going with my friends.”
Barr said Robinette will be a “fresh face” amongst all of the other performers, including Jake Owen, Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne and Frankie Ballard.
Robinette said he does not think he will bring anything to the show that the other performers cannot do and said “you just try to find a spot amongst them.” He added that he will be bring a huge crowd from Southeast Ohio, and that may be what makes him stand out.
Robinette said he is excited to play in this region of Ohio, and specifically Athens, because “it’s just home.”
“My music speaks to the college generation,” Robinette said. “There are fun songs on this album that I think college students will have fun with.”
The up-and-coming country artist said he will perform his whole new album as well as a song from a previous EP and a couple cover songs.
Even though Robinette has not gotten much attention from bigger country music labels, he said that does not worry him.
“We’ve been priding ourselves on staying independent as long as possible,” Robinette said.
He added that his team has been focusing on developing a complete experience so when he is approached by a label, he has created “something they have to have.”
“(I’m looking forward to) hanging with my friends and family and having a good time,” Robinette said. “There is never a bad time in Athens.”
